Foldable chair.



B. L. KUN Z.

FOLDABLE GHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.14,1910.

Patented Jilly 25, 1911.

WITNESSES ATTORAZY DOLUMIIA PI-ANDORAPH 60-, WASHINGTON, I7 C.

UNTE SATE ATENT GFFTQ EDWARD L. K'UNZ, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0JOSEPH H. MORGAN, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FOLDAIBLE CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 14, 1910.

Patented July 25, 1911. Serial No. 549,211.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. KUNZ, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F oldableChairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates generally to foldable chairs and more particularlyto vehicle chairs.

My invention provides a chair which is very durable, simple in operationand cheap to manufacture,

My chair cannot be occupied when it is in a position to be folded; henceit cannot by any means accidentally fold or collapse when occupied.

My chair is so constructed that it can be secured to any vertical wallon the side of a vehicle body or similar structure. The main standard orsupport of the chair is secured to the structure holding it at somedistance below the chair seat thus making an acute angle between suchstructure and the support and putting the strain caused by the weight ofthe occupied chair on the strongest part of the supporting structure.

Clearly my invention may be advantageously used in many places butparticularly in vehicle bodies.

I have attained the advantages above set forth by the device hereinshown and de scribed but many other advantages resulting from its usewill be evident to those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views of which:

Figure 1 shows in full lines a side elevation of my chair when unfolded,and in dotted lines the same is shown when partly folded. Fig. 2 is abottom view of the chair shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary viewof the lock-plate.

5 is the seat and 6 the back support of my chair. 8 is the lock-platewhich is secured to the bottom of the seat 5 and is provided withbifurcated lugs 9 and 10. Between these bifurcated lugs are pivotallymounted the lower ends of the back (Fig. 1) being provided on the saidlugs to prevent the back support from being thrown backward beyond apredetermined point.

support 6, stops 11 12 represents any perpendicular wall or othersupporting structure to which. my chair may be attached, as, forinstance, an automobile body,

1.3 is the seat hinge which is pivotally secured to the wall 12 by meansof the pivotal lugs 14. At the outer end of the seat hinge 13 isrotatably secured the lockplate 8. The seat hinge 13 is held in itshorizontal position by means of the link 15 and the dog 16. The upperend of the dog 16 is pivotally secured to the seat hinge 13 preferablyby means of the screw 17. The lower end of the said dog is pivotally connected to the upper end of the link 15 and atsome point below thispivotal point it is provided with a stop 18 which prevents the said dogand said link from moving outwardly beyond a position where they will bein a substantially straight line with each other. The lower end of thelink 15 is pivotally connected to the lug 19 which is secured to thewall 12.

The lock-plate 8 is made, preferably, cylindrical in general contour andis provided with a peripheral flange 20. At one point in the flange 20is cut a slot 21 (Fig. 3) with which the dog 16 is engageable. The slot21 is so located as to be in register with the dog 16 when the seat isrevolved to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position theseat 5 could not be conveniently occupied. Secured to the lock-plate 8,and having their inner faces in coincidence with the edges of the slot21, are blocks 22. These blocks increase the bearing surface for the dogwhen the same is in engagement with the slot 21 and obviously they maybe made integral with the lock-plate if desired instead of being securedthereto as shown.

When it is desired to close my chair, the seat 5 is revolved to theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when the dog 16 will be in register withthe slot 21. The link 15 is then pushed inwardly and as the dog 16enters the slot 21 the seat 5 is allowed to drop or swing on the seathinge 13, which is clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The backsupport 6 is also folded down upon the seat- 5 and when the chair is inits lower or folded position the seat and back support will be folded upagainst the wall 12 thus occupying very little space when the chair isnot in use.

It is evident that, when the seat is raised to the upper position and isrevolved (as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2), so as to be occupied,the upper edge of the dog 16 will bear against the flange 20 of thelock-plate 8 and while thus keeping the dog in a straight line with thelink 15 will prevent the seat from collapsing or by any accident frombeing folded up while occupied.

Obviously some modifications of the details herein shown and describedmay be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I donot wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown anddescribed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a foldable chair adapted to be securedto a vertical wall, comprising a seat, a lock-plate secured to thebottom of said seat, a seat hinge pivotally secured to said wall, saidlock-plate being rotatably mounted on said seat hinge, foldabl-esupporting means carried by said seat hinge and said wall and lockingmeans carried by said seat whereby said supporting means may be lockedagainst folding when the said chair is occupied.

2. As an article of manufacture, a foldable chair adapted to be securedto a vertical wall, comprising a seat, a lock-plate secured to thebottom of said seat, provided with a peripheral flange and a slot cut insaid flange at one point only, a seat hinge pivotally secured to saidwall, said lock-plate being revolubly mounted on said seat hinge andmeans carried by said seat hinge and said wall whereby said seat is heldin its upward position except when said means are in register with saidslot.

3. As an article of manufacture, a foldable chair adapted to be securedto a vertical wall, comprising a seat, a back support to the bottom ofsaid seat, provided with a peripheral. flange and a slot cut in saidflange at one point only, a seat hinge pivotally secured to said wall,said lock-plate being revolubly mounted on said seat hinge,

a dog pivotally secured to said seat hinge and provided with a stop atits lower end, a link pivotally secured to said wall, said dog and saidlink being hinged together, whereby said seat may be securely locked inits horizontal position except when said dog is in register with saidslot.

4. As an article of manufacture, a fold able chair adapted to be securedto a vertical wall, comprising a seat, a back support pivotally securedto said seat, a lock-plate secured to the bottom of said seat, providedwith a peripheral flange and a slot cut in said flange at one pointonly, reinforcing lugs secured to said lock-plate on each side of saidslot, a seat hinge pivotally secured to said wall, said lock-plate beingrotatably mounted on said seat hinge, a dog pivotally secured to saidseat hinge and provided with a stop at its lower end, a link pivot-allysecured to said wall, said dog and said link being hinged together,whereby said seat may be securely locked in its horizontal positionexcept when said dog is in register with said slot.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDlVARD L. KUNZ.

Witnesses Josnrn H. MORGAN, J. M. ELLIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

